West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta ‘completely fits’ the concept Pep Guardiola has employed at Manchester City, hence them now pushing for a deal.
That’s according to UOL, who, alongside Globo Esporte, cover the bid for the midfielder today and explain the logic behind it for Manchester City.
The treble winners have made a surprise bid for the West Ham United midfielder this week, with the Hammers turning down an initial £70m bid for the Brazilian.
They are expected to return with an improved bid and are believed to be determined to get a deal over the line as they seek a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who left for Barcelona this summer.
The West Ham star has been an option at Manchester City since last year, before his move to the London Stadium from Lyon. They were eyeing him as a replacement for Bernardo Silva if he had left, which he didn’t so they never moved.
Now they’ve lost Gundogan they have reignited their interest in him and are pushing to get a deal over the line.
UOL go one step further, with Rafael Reis explaining in a column for them that the move isn’t surprising as Paqueta ‘completely fits’ what Guardiola is looking for.
He likes working with a small squad, so everyone always feels valued in the squad, but to achieve this he needs players who are versatile, sometimes to the point it’s unclear what their best position is.
Paqueta is one such player as he can play across midfield or in a more advanced role with ease and, crucially, he has the characteristics to potentially replace Kevin de Bruyne down the line.
That’s a key reason behind the move for them, with their interest a long-standing one that they’re now finally moving on.
